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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23212891">There be Silence</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabentochter/pseuds/Rabentochter'>Rabentochter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Asgard (Marvel), Asgardian Tony Stark, Banter, Cultural Differences, Enemies to Lovers, Frostiron Bingo Round 1, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Kidnapping, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Theft, Tony Stark Feels, Treason, Warning: Loki (Marvel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:07:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,574</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23212891</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabentochter/pseuds/Rabentochter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anthony knows that there is no such thing as monsters under the bed. Though it seems he might be mistaken as he gets <i>persuaded</i> to leave Asgard for Jötunheim.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>120</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Fill for the FrostIron Bingo: <b>O3 - Monster under the Bed (AU)</b></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Something wasn’t <em>right</em> with his bed, Anthony felt it to the core. He was no small child anymore. He knew that there were no such things <em>as monsters</em> under the bed as his parents tried to make him believe.</p><p>But here he was, staring up to the ceiling with wide eyes. Breathing as quietly as he could as terror seemed to grip his throat tight.</p><p>Something <em>was </em>under his bed.</p><p>Scratching on the wood, hitting against his mattress now and then as if it was playing with him. There was no evidence as to <em>what </em>it was only that it was <em>here</em>. But when Anthony changed his breathing rhythm, he heard the soft inhale from someone else. He continued breathing, then stopped, heard the exhale from below.</p><p>This was real.</p><p>Usually Anthony went to bed to his horrendous times, thought about something ridiculous or steamier, then managed it to fall into a deep slumber. He could rest for a few hours, then went back to his smithy, worked on the new order from Prince Thor, got a migraine when he thought about the future under the rule of this dumbass (<em>treacherous thoughts) </em>and –</p><p>
  <em>I’m alone in my house. Nobody is here. </em>
</p><p>The thoughts weren’t as believable anymore as they were a few minutes ago. The ceiling seemed to be further away from him, the floor opening and sucking him in – straight into the waiting arms of the monster beneath him.</p><p>It scratched against the wood, as if it had heard him. It was a sharp noise. His hair was tickling him in the nape. Wrong time for <em>everything</em> but specially to cough or chuckle. He slapped a hand atop his mouth, trying to stop every noise.</p><p>The lights were out. Anthony saw nothing, submerged fully in the darkness.</p><p>The wood creaked. It sounded like a soft sigh, ominous only to the hearing. Perhaps this was the sweet sound of death.</p><p>He held his breath as the wood creaked again, longer this time. Without a doubt there was something <em>under his bed. </em>And it was slowly crawling out of it. There were only pillows on his bed and Anthony didn’t <em>dare </em>to reach over to his nightstand where he kept a knife.</p><p>Fear had frozen his limbs and –</p><p>He heard the soft <em>swish,</em> felt the bed <em>dip – </em></p><p>“No-“</p><p>Perhaps he should have tried to make a run for the door earlier.</p><p>Perhaps he should have told Fandral that he had changed his mind and would take him up on his offer. Everything would be better than –</p><p>“<em>Yes</em>,” a voice purred. Too close to his ear. Cold puffs of breath touched his outer shell, something which felt akin to lips traced the cheekbone, the thin hairs.</p><p>Words didn’t exist anymore in Anthony’s mind.</p><p>Green light flared to life in front of him.</p><p>Anthony screamed.</p><p>
  <em>There’d been tales. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Monsters with red eyes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blue skin. And the air they exhale feels like ice on your skin and it will burn yours off, black and dead. </em>
</p><p>He had stopped believing those tales. Thought, he wasn’t afraid any longer of the Frost Giants, as close to extinction as they were.</p><p>His scream got cut off. Abrupt.</p><p>The mouth was still open, and he <em>knew </em>he was screaming but no sound left his lips. Only silence that got reflected in deep red eyes, sparkling with green fire and a smile decorated the blue face. <em>Wrong, so wrong</em>, every instinct inside of Anthony howled in fear.</p><p>“Anthony Howardson?” The Frost Giant asked. “Nod, if I’m correct.”</p><p>The way he looked down at Anthony, he knew a lie would do him more harm than good.</p><p>He was not one to accept his fate. He <em>never </em>would, he hadn’t gotten an arc reactor shoved into his chest for nothing but the way – the Giant sat astride of him, able to wield seiðr like perhaps only Queen Frigga was able to on Asgard –</p><p>Perhaps he was just doomed for the moment.</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>The Giant leant forward, his fingers – <em>nails, </em>Anthony corrected himself – ran over his chest. His breath was getting shorter.</p><p>
  <em>Tap. </em>
</p><p>“I need this,” the Giant informed him shortly. “The only question is will you part with it by violence or will go with me and I’ll use the artefact without causing greater harm to yourself?”</p><p> <em>Tap tap. </em></p><p>“I don’t necessarily need you but if you can invent <em>this, </em>then that implies you do know more than the average Aesir.” Ice ghosted over Anthony’s skin. “Perhaps this is why Thor keeps you around, like a lap dog. Showing you off to his family like a treasured icicle, his own interpretation of the Casket. Perhaps,” and just as Anthony started to nod his consent, that he rather <em>would be taken alive by the enemy, </em>“I should take you nonetheless.”</p><p>Anthony’s mouth formed words, syllables –</p><p>No sound, still.</p><p>The Giant smiled, his eyes transfixed on Anthony’s mouth. The red turned darker, almost became black. “It’s time to go, Twinkle."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jötunheim was – <em>cold</em>. Not a surprise considering that it was the home of the Frost Giants but it felt like Anthony’s ass was going to freeze off. The Frost Giant had left him in this room, setting out a plate of <em>fish, was that fish? </em>On the table before he’d abandoned him. Where he’d gone to, Anthony didn’t know. Hadn’t bothered to ask either as he was still trying to – come to peace with where his decision had led him to this time.</p>
<p>Maybe he should simply treat this as another adventure. There was a knife – blade blunted, he noticed – on the table, no fork was in sight though. He didn’t <em>wonder</em> about that, per se. He was surprised that there was fish available in the first place and not something – <em>ghastly</em>. There were rumours, after all. That Frost Giants ate their own kin to survive. Ate children when they were weak and not wanted.</p>
<p>It was a pleasant surprise. Anthony slowly cut the white meat apart and into small pieces before he ate it. Chewed on it hesitantly, awaiting to taste poison. It wouldn’t make sense. Why would the Giant wish to poison him when Anthony was already here, more or less of his own volition. But nothing happened that suggested – yes. He ate slowly, savouring the meal as he realised he hadn’t taken dinner to him tonight.</p>
<p>It wasn’t <em>much</em>. But he felt kind of – sated. Shocked he even got something down at all because normally, Anthony preferred not to eat when he was thrown into a new situation headfirst.</p>
<p>The door opened quietly as Anthony was getting familiar with the room. It reminded him a bit of the one he had. Sparsely decorated, only the necessary furniture. A bed, a bookshelf, a carpet of white fur that felt frankly <em>soft </em>and amazing under his hands. It made him wonder what kind of animal this used to be because there was none on Asgard that resembled it. There was a fireplace with green flames that radiated heat. Not <em>too much</em> but when Anthony walked closer, he felt the warmth on his face, his naked fingers.</p>
<p>“I see you’re getting familiar with my room.”</p>
<p>“Not a lot I can do otherwise, can I?” He shrugged, trying to swallow the fear down as he saw himself confronted again with his – nightmare. The Frost Giant looked –</p>
<p>Not quite that fearsome in the light. Still <em>different </em>but. Not at all like someone that would tear Anthony apart. And that was coming from him, having seen the seiðr and being threatened by the Giant. Perhaps the difference was that now – he knew <em>what </em>it was. No uncertainty anymore about the monster under his bed. There was a face to the monster now, and he had a racing heart and his pulse was beating to his ears but that <em>didn’t matter</em>.</p>
<p>“How about you tell me what you want.”</p>
<p>“How bold.” The Frost Giant mustered him with a raised eyebrow. “Where has the squealing worm gone that I took from his homely bed?”</p>
<p>“Been put away for now.”</p>
<p>A sharp smile was curling on blue lips. “Perhaps not quite a worm then. Take a seat, Twinkle. We have much to discuss.” He pointed at the fur on the ground.</p>
<p><em>Okay</em>. They settled on the fur, Anthony choosing to burrow his fingers in the soft for a moment, trying to prepare himself for this <em>talk</em>. Because for sure, that could only go interesting ways.</p>
<p>“You said you want my arc reactor. How in the Norns’ name, do you even <em>know of that</em>?”</p>
<p>“I’ve been observing you.” The Giant chuckled lowly at the sound Anthony gave from himself. “There was such a tumult when you were gone. The great weaponsmith of the royal family, <em>gone.</em> Disappeared below the ice, not to be found anymore. It caught my attention.”</p>
<p>Anthony only wondered for a moment about ‘<em>below the ice’</em>, then chose to file it away as a figure of speech. Because where he’d been held captive hadn’t been ice. The opposite, instead.</p>
<p>“Not a fan of the royal family?” Anthony tried to joke but the blue face remained neutral. He didn’t even get a blink of a reaction to that which was disappointing.</p>
<p>“Personally I find the Aesir race as a whole irritating, the royal family only more vexing because they stole from us.” The smile was dark. “I rather prefer them as far away from my people as possible for they caused damage difficult enough to repair as it is.”</p>
<p>
  <em>My people – </em>
</p>
<p>“<em>What.”</em></p>
<p>“My, if my guard would hear you speaking to me like this, Twinkle.” The Giant chuckled. “Such disrespect towards the crown prince of Jötunheim.”</p>
<p><em>Oh. Oh well, done, Anthony.</em> “Not my fault that you chose not to introduce yourself.” He tried to be cheeky, feeling just a bit more at ease now. Which probably didn’t say a lot but – when the crown prince had taken him, then that meant at least nobody would try to eat him, here. <em>Hopefully</em>. “Rather crude to just steal yourself into my bed without a name. Or below it, as it was the case.”</p>
<p>“How could I have let this opportunity gone to waste to frighten an Áss?”</p>
<p>Anthony found himself chuckling at that. It was simply the delivery – dry, without a hint of regret, yet not <em>too flat</em>. Perhaps there was a glint of amusement in the Frost Giant’s eyes at that but it was gone before Anthony could make sure.</p>
<p>“I’m horrible with names, so you still got me at a disadvantage here.”</p>
<p>“Loki.” <em>Loki </em>offered and Anthony mouthed the name quietly. “The bastardization of it, in your language.”</p>
<p>His mouth fell open at that insult. “<em>Excuse –“</em></p>
<p>“Excused.” Loki smirked at him, not even bothering to hide his delight. “Be glad I do.”</p>
<p>“If that’s what his Highness says.” He rolled his eyes. It was easy for him to fall into banter. It was what he often did with Thor although some points went straight over his blond head and if he felt offended, Thor <em>loved</em> to remind him that he was <em>only </em>a weaponsmith. Not better than him. This was – a similar situation Anthony found himself in. Even when a part of him stayed wary, looking at the black claws on occasion, wondering if they were going to slice him up.</p>
<p>“What I need of you is to recreate the reactor but to turn it into a weapon.”</p>
<p>He cocked his head. “Against <em>whom</em>?”</p>
<p>Loki looked at him. “I need to get into Odin’s vault. You have heard of the Destroyer, I take it?”</p>
<p>“Rumours.”</p>
<p>“They are no mere rumours. The destroyer is real.” Loki smiled at him though this time, it seemed as if it was carved out of ice. “The Einherjar guarding the palace won’t be that much of a problem. They can be distracted or dealt with. The Destroyer not so much.”</p>
<p>“What is in Odin’s vault?” Anthony leant forward, interested.</p>
<p>“Something that belongs to my people.”</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>“Do you think me stupid, that I will spill all the secrets my people hold?”</p>
<p>Anthony raised his hands. “I didn’t think of that in the first pl-“</p>
<p>“<em>Good</em>,” Loki cut him off. “Because I won’t hesitate at the first sign of betrayal to tear your reactor out and use it.”</p>
<p>“You know how to charm a fellow, don’t you?”</p>
<p>“What I want from you is to find a way to ensure the Destroyer won’t kill me as I invade the vault and leave it.”</p>
<p>“What is the Destroyer?”</p>
<p>Loki hesitated. “A mechanical soldier. It is active on its own but can be directed by whoever sits on <em>Hliðskjálf, </em>a practical extension.”</p>
<p>“All right. Anything else you can tell me apart from that?”</p>
<p>Loki shook his head.</p>
<p>“Great. I need to know more though. Can’t do shit if I don’t know what I’m up against.”</p>
<p>“What do you suggest?”</p>
<p>“A trip to the Destroyer.” He gave a dismissal shrug as if he wasn’t suggestion treason. Or adding up to his pile. He wondered how he was supposed to be able to stand before the All-Father when this was all over, look him in the eye and tell him he handled under duress.</p>
<p>It hadn’t escaped his attention either that so far, Loki hadn’t said a word of what was going to happen with him when he had taken his object of interest from Odin’s vault.</p>
<p>Loki’s eyes narrowed.</p>
<p>“I’m <em>not </em>planning on screaming for help.” Anthony rolled his eyes. “You made pretty sure that I know what is coming my way when I try to betray you.”</p>
<p>“When do you think the palace is going to notice your absence?”</p>
<p>“Two days, roughly. Thor had a commission for me.”</p>
<p>“Did he?” Loki’s red eyes twinkled in malicious delight. “What a shame it would be if something were to happen to it.”</p>
<p>“Do you want to announce your theft to the whole kingdom? I thought you were the one all for subtlety.”</p>
<p>It seemed to do the trick. What the trick was <em>exactly </em>Anthony couldn’t say but Loki seemed to relax just an inch. Less prone to attack him as well.</p>
<p>“Very well. We will leave for Asgard at the last snowfall.”</p>
<p>“And that means -?”</p>
<p>Loki chuckled quietly. It made him appear even less monstrous, more of an <em>Áss </em>in Anthony’s eyes. “In the evening, for you. It is late already and I see no need to risk my neck by walking with you through the palace in the broad daylight.”</p>
<p>“What, I already told you I’m not planning on –“</p>
<p>“The guards are more alert during the day.” Loki rolled his eyes at him. “Not everything is about you.”</p>
<p>“Oh sweet.”</p>
<p>Loki stood up, dusting his leather trousers off. “You will stay in this room. I might be the crown prince but I cannot guarantee your survival outside of this room. Not all Jötnar will be as forthcoming as I am and not kill you on sight.”</p>
<p>“<em>Oh sweet</em>,” Anthony repeated dryly. “And where do I sleep?”</p>
<p>“Here.” Loki waved with his hand and a pillow as well as another fur appeared – not as soft as the white one, he realised. “I trust you not to stab me in my sleep.”</p>
<p>“I mean you’re my way back, would be stupid to off you.”</p>
<p>“Indeed.” Loki nodded at him before he disappeared to his bed.</p>
<p>For some reason Anthony was sure he wasn’t going to hear a ‘good night’ from Loki.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have like 12% of a plan for this one and about 3 of that are being made up as I go, the rest is all in Loki and Tony's hands.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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